Tag - Kansas

As we pulled up to the bright
red hangar on the eastern edge of Osage City, skydivers were drifting in
slowly. Colorful parachutes soared above as the jumpers made their landings
look effortless on the grassy "skydiver" runway.

The most recent stops on my Faces and Places tour itinerary
were familiar names on my map. I've always associated Russell with its hometown
hero, Bob Dole. My kids beg to stop by the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays each time we pass by on Interstate 70. This visit, however, offered a
unique opportunity to see each community at its festival finest. I was to visit Russell's Fourth of July
Freedom Fest, followed by a visit to Hays' four-day celebration, the Wild West
Fest.

Every summer at Tuttle Creek State Park, you'll find - and hear - one of the largest country music festivals in the nation. Nestled along the dam of Tuttle Creek Lake, just north of Manhattan, this year's Kicker Country Stampede took place June 27-30.

As one travels along Interstate 70 through Kansas, there is a stretch of highway that passes through farm ground fenced in by barbed wire and rock fence posts. These yellow-white fence posts are all fairly uniform in shape and size. To some, they may harken back to another time when rock was used to build barns, homes and fences. To others, they signal the area known as "Post Rock Country". Settled by Bohemians from Europe, this area is rich in limestone, fertile soil and the history of our Kansas ancestry.

To couples with parental and job responsibilities, the notion of finding time for a romantic getaway can feel farfetched. But smart couples know that if we don't make time for romance, there's a good chance it won't happen. Being parents and spouses isn't the same thing as being a couple.

As I drove on a winding gravel road through lush pastures and hills on my way to the Prairie Lavender Festival near Bennington, I was looking forward to the day ahead as a time to relax and rejuvenate amongst my favorite fragrance after a hectic week. Little did I know it also would be a day to remember my past.

On a recent road trip around the north end of Tuttle Creek Reservoir and part of Milford Lake, we drove into the community of Leonardville, a town of less than 500 people, situated between the north ends of the two nearby lakes. As we entered town, we drove past the "Welcome to Leonardville" sign, which boasted "Home of Jordy Nelson, Super Bowl XLV." Nelson earned All-American honors as a wide receiver at Kansas State University, was drafted in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft and as of this writing, plays for the Green Bay Packers.

There will be that place in a ride that you feel the pull to stop. Pull over to the side of the highway. Soak in every sight, sound, smell around you because it's just so....much. More than once along the Western Vistas Historic Byway, this had to happen in order to take it all in and not miss a drop, to revel in the awe of the moment.

When I moved to Topeka ten years ago, the stretch of historic buildings lining North Kansas Avenue between NE Norris and NE Gordon were a bit run-down to say the least. Neglected and mostly abandoned, there were few bright spots along this stretch that led towards one of Topeka's top tourist spots - The Great Overland Station. As newbies to town, we thought that seemed too bad, but like many people, we kind of saw it as a dead-end.